Driven By The Bible

“Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭32:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬When we read this verse and others like it, we too easily fall into the trap of thinking that God is little more than a genie in a bottle, waiting to say, “Your wish is my command!” This is very dangerous. Jeremiah’s prayer was answered with a very difficult promise to accept. Let’s talk about it!

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”‭‭James‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬What if we truly approached every good thing in our lives as a gift from our Father in Heaven who loves us with an overwhelming love?Let’s talk about it!

“...bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬What is Biblical forgiveness? And why is it so important? Does forgiveness excuse the offender or mean that we put ourselves in a position to be hurt again? Or could forgiveness actually be as simple us trusting our Heavenly Father? Let’s talk about it!

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:44‬ ‭ESV‬‬In the ancient world, it was believed that idols were physical placeholders for the gods to indwell on earth. Israel, however, was forbidden to craft any of these imagers, because the Bible teaches that humanity was created to be the One God’s imagers on earth. What does this have to do with loving your enemies? Let’s talk about it!

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope...”‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:3-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬When we are facing suffering, the last thing we think of is that we should rejoice in it. We want desperately for God to take us out of it. But God rarely does. Why? Because the goal of suffering is to bring us to a place of deeper hope in the love that God has for us. Let’s talk about it!

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭ESV‬‬The purpose of confession is not the avoidance of judgment and punishment. Confession allows Christ to cleanse us from our sins, so that we are free to draw closer to the presence of our perfect and holy God. And this was the very reason we were created. Let’s talk about it!

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬How can we know for certain that this promise is true? That in the midst of trials and tribulations, God will be faithful to bring us through? Let’s talk about it!

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:18‬ ‭ESV‬‬Paul was a man who suffered beyond our mind’s ability to comprehend. He was whipped, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and attacked repeatedly. Yet he never lost hope. This is because he focused his heart and mind on the Kingdom to come, not on the broken world we live in now. Let’s talk about it.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭ESV‬‬It’s not natural to be Kingdom-minded when it comes to our earthly needs. We want what we want. But Jesus teaches us that we have to take our focus off of our needs and desires, and place them on His Kingdom and mission for our lives. Until we do that, He never promises to bless us. Let’s talk about it!

“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,”‭‭Psalms‬ ‭33:18‬ ‭ESV‬‬Our God is unique from the gods of this world. He defines Himself in a very specific way, and then literally moves Heaven and Earth to prove that He is who He says He is. Make no mistake - He is God alone and has no obligation to answer to anyone. But He is also love. And we can trust Him. Let’s talk about it!

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:29‬ ‭ESV‬‬I’ve heard it taught that everything we say should be filtered through these 3 questions: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? Paul seems to teach the same idea. But he also mentions a few other principles we should apply in our communication with others. Let’s talk about it!

“There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.”‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭2:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬The story of Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, is a story of a woman crying out desperately to God for Him to grant her heart’s desire. Let’s talk about it!

For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you."‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬Life is tough. We struggle. Sometimes it even seems as if God, Himself, is allowing these struggles to happen. But He wants us to innocently trust Him as a Father. To place our hand in His and let Him take our fear away. Let’s talk about it!

“The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬Not long ago, I was facing a battle that I didn’t believe I could win. I was standing in front of the Red Sea, with mountains on both sides and my enemy approaching from behind. And as I cried out to God, He gave me this verse. What happened next? Let’s talk about it!

This is a special follow up episode from today’s verse of the day! Why do we struggle with obeying God? With trusting Him? Because we don’t understand that God is...

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭9:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬Prayer, discipleship , and obedience begin with a truth that goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden: there is a God, and you’re not him. Let’s talk about it!

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:5-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬While Paul was the greatest leader of the early Church, he was also flawed. He often spoke before he thought things through. And it got him into trouble. But worse, it damaged close relationships. Which is why he encourages the Christians at Colossae to be careful about what they say. Let’s talk about it!

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”‭‭James‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬There will inevitably be conflict in our churches, families, marriages, and personal relationships. This conflict is the result of passionate hopes, dreams, and desires. How are we to deal with this conflict? Let’s talk about it!

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah”‭‭Psalms‬ ‭68:19‬ ‭ESV‬‬What’s does it mean to say “God is our salvation?” Our minds usually go to eternal life and forgiveness of sin. This is definitely true. But when King David wrote these verses, he was thinking about a supernatural, all-powerful God who would utterly destroy Israel’s enemies. Let’s talk about it!

“...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬This is step 1 in a very practical 3 step process we should be going through whenever we are prone to worry and anxiety. Release the worries. Receive the peace of God. And refocus our minds on the positive. Let’s talk about it!